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Aston Martin: F1 factory switch no excuse for mid-season slump
Since its acquisition by a Lawrence Stroll-led consortium in 2018, Aston Martin has been in a better financial position, allowing the team to move to a new, purpose-built campus in Silverstone. The team made the switch during the 2023 F1 season and also completed a new wind tunnel. Despite a strong start to the season, with Fernando Alonso as Red Bull’s main challenger and securing six podium finishes in the first eight rounds, the development of the AMR23 did not match up to the competition. By the end of the year, Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll were regularly falling behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren. Luxembourger Krack, the team manager, acknowledged the difficult times and the rapid decline but refused to use the infrastructure changes as an excuse. Krack emphasized that the team knew about these changes beforehand and should have planned accordingly. Despite the challenges faced, Krack maintained that the Aston Martin project should be evaluated over a longer period of time rather than focusing on individual races or seasons.
